CPU Upgrade for a Dell Optiplex 9010 MT

[1405]

Would a i7-3770 work in the above computer? I think I have the latest BIOS offered by Dell.

 

[Eximo]

Yeah, sure. A 3rd generation board and everything. If you have something small like an i3, you'll probably want a different CPU cooler though. If you have an i5, it should be okay, but not ideal.

 

[MCMunroe]

That board will current throttle a full blooded CPU. That is it will throttle when the CPU tries to use more than 35W. I had a OptiPlex 9020 and swapped in a spare i7-4770k. It worked well until a sustained load and then dropped down to about 2.8Ghz, just like the 35W parts.

 

[william p]

There are plenty of those running here.
https://www.userbenchmark.com/System/Dell-OptiPlex-9010/829
The CPU scores can be seen there to confirm that they produce results.
It seems that higher RAM scores go with high CPU scores.

 

[1405]

That board will current throttle a full blooded CPU. That is it will throttle when the CPU tries to use more than 35W. I had a OptiPlex 9020 and swapped in a spare i7-4770k. It worked well until a sustained load and then dropped down to about 2.8Ghz, just like the 35W parts.

I don't think so. I haven't had that problem yet and have a 77W CPU in it now from Dell. You may be thinking of the SFF boards.

 

[1405]

There are plenty of those running here.
https://www.userbenchmark.com/System/Dell-OptiPlex-9010/829
The CPU scores can be seen there to confirm that they produce results.
It seems that higher RAM scores go with high CPU scores.

What does that page mean where it says 1473X next to the i7-3770?

 

[william p]

That means of the 2,777 examples of that computer tested 1,473 had that CPU. I'm pretty sure it will work.

 

[1405]

OK, guys. I'm convinced it will work now. Thank you. Next question...
Will I see a noticeable gaming improvement over an i5-3570? Those are the two chips I'm looking at. $47 vs $95.
My current CPU (i5-3450) has something wrong with it. One core always sits at 80C - 90C+ and sometimes shuts down.

Graphics card: GTX 1060 6GB Mini

 

[william p]

The only difference is the i7 can run as an 8core using Hyperthreading, and the i5 is strictly 4 core. if you apps don't use more than 4 threads then there's no difference. The i7 has much better on chip GPU if that's what you're running.

 

[MCMunroe]

Dell was dumb and uses OptiPlex 9010 & 9020 for both desktop and SFF. I was assuming SFF, or the 1 Liter chassis.

 

[william p]

I think Michael Dell knows exactly what he's doing.
All of the Optiplexes were offered in several sizes. Only the MT takes a full height GPU. The BTX DT size had an adapter for one. The USFF has no GPU slot.
If you had CPU throttling in an SFF case it's probaly because you still had the 35W CPU cooler it came with.

 

[1405]

I think Michael Dell knows exactly what he's doing.
All of the Optiplexes were offered in several sizes. Only the MT takes a full height GPU. The BTX DT size had an adapter for one. The USFF has no GPU slot.
If you had CPU throttling in an SFF case it's probably because you still had the 35W CPU cooler it came with.

Yep, you're probably right. Now that I think about it, my Optiplex 790 SFF came stock with a 95W i5-2400.